vodka and tequila
by talkingtummy
Summary: two strangers meet in a bar and agree to pretend to be dating. hehe. r&r, pls.
1. Chapter 1

"Vodka on the rocks," ordered a pretty, twentysomething blonde, sitting on a barstool, to the bartender

"Vodka on the rocks," ordered a twentysomething blonde sitting on a barstool, to the bartender. _God knows I need it, _she thought as she downed the entire shot and ordered another.

She glanced around and saw a brown-haired guy drinking tequila and sitting next to her. _He's cute._

"Hey," she said feebly. _This is never going to work! I am hopeless at this._

The guy drank half the bottle before he responded. "Hey." Then he drank some more.

The girl was determined to keep talking, no matter how cold the guy was. "Wow. Your life must suck for you to be drinking tequila at one in the afternoon." she commented.

"Right back at you."

The girl was frustrated at the lack of progress. So she went back to drowning her sorrows in vodka.

Setting down his bottle, the guy suddenly said, "My girlfriend dumped me today."

The girl laughed humorlessly. "At least you have a girlfriend. My parents are pressuring me to find a guy I can take home to them, and I'm hopeless at dating. And they said that if I can't find a guy in two weeks' time, they'll disinherit me! Can you believe that?"

"Well, yeah. You suck at picking up guys."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Just like earlier, for instance. You just said 'hey' and expected me to carry on the conversation? Are you stupid or something?"

She glared at him. "I think I liked you better when you weren't talking."

He smirked at her furious expression. "By the way, I'm Kanata. Kanata Saionji."

"And I'm mad at you."

"That's too bad. I was going to make a very interesting offer."

"If you think you're going to leave this bar with me around your arms, forget it. I don't pick up guys in bars."

Kanata's smirk widened as he said, "Oh, really? Because I think you just tried to a moment earlier."

"Shut up!" the girl said angrily, slamming her glass down. "I was desperate, all right?"

"You know," Kanata said after ordering a round of vodka for the two of them, "my ex-girlfriend Akira is the jealous type."

"_Really_? Do you think I care?" she said peevishly.

"No, don't you get it?" Kanata grabbed her shoulders and made her face him. "You need a pretend boyfriend and I need a pretend girlfriend. So, we can date each other!"

The girl frowned. "Don't you think that'd be hard, though?"

"All we have to do is hold hands in front of Akira and your parents, and all of our problems are solved."

"All right… but I'm laying down some rules." She grabbed something from her bag and started scribbling on it. "Rule number one, no kissing on the lips. Rule number two, no physical contact except for hand-holding. Rule number three, you have to pay for every date. Rule number four, we will break up when both parties are satisfied."

"I think rules number one and two are unnecessary." Kanata said, peering over the blonde's shoulder.

"Why?" she demanded. "You're such a pervert…"

"No, because I wouldn't want to kiss _you_, especially in front of Akira. She might think I have no taste."

She whacked his head, yelling, "_What did you say_?! Oh damn, I have to go. Call me, okay?" She rushed out of the bar.

"Call her? I don't even have her number." Muttering, Kanata glanced at the business card the girl left. It read, _Miyu Kouzouki. _

Beneath was a phone number.


	2. meet the parent

Miyu waited anxiously for Kanata. They were supposed to have lunch at Tenchi Diner at 12 noon. It was already 11:50 am and he still wasn't there.

She began tapping her fingernails on the table. _Kanata, I'll kill you if you ditch me._

A short-haired girl spotted her and made her way towards her. "Miyu-chan!"

"Nanami-chan! How are you and Santa?"

"We're fine. How about you? Are you meeting someone?" Then Nanami called out to her employees, "Order up for number 27!"

Miyu shook her head, smiling. "Nanami-chan, why don't you get the orders yourself?"

She answered smugly, "Being manager has benefits. You still haven't answered my question--" She broke off when she saw a gorgeous guy heading towards them.

"Hi, Miyu-chan," Kanata said, sliding in the seat next to her and kissing her on the cheek.

Miyu was shocked; her cheeks flooded with color. "Ah, Nanami-chan… This is Kanata, a friend of mine."

"You're being modest," Kanata scolded her. He looked at Nanami. "Actually, I'm her boyfriend."

Nanami's eyes widened. "Miyu-chan? You have a _boyfriend_?!"

"Nanami-chan, will you please get us a couple of mitarashi dangos?" Miyu said hurriedly. "_Now_, please."

As a surprised Nanami left to fill their orders, Miyu turned to Kanata and said fiercely, "Why did you do that?"

"We're supposed to be boyfriend-girlfriend, remember?" Kanata said with a shrug.

"But I said no kissing--"

"--on the _lips_," he pointed out. "As much as I _hate_ kissing you, it's got to be done or else it won't look realistic."

"_Realistic_? Who said it had to be realistic? I just want to get my parents off my case!"

"Use your brains, idiot. Heiomachi is a small town, and word gets around fast. If your mom and dad realize that we're putting them on, they might really disinherit you."

Miyu hated his superior tone, and she shot back, "Well, next time, give me warning before you kiss me, so I can prepare a barf bag!"

As the food arrived, Miyu exclaimed, "Wow! This looks delicious!" She began chowing down.

"You sure eat a lot," Kanata remarked.

"You have no idea," she said, her mouth bulging with fried rice and soup. A little bit dribbled down her chin. "Oops, sorry--"

She expected him to tell her off for being so clumsy. Instead, he gently wiped her chin and said, "Don't talk with your mouth full."

She swallowed. "Uh, thanks…" She couldn't think of anything to say, so she kept eating.

While she ate, she stared at Kanata, observing his every movement. _He held his spoon straight, but his fork a little limply. He didn't eat green peas. He drinks water every after three bites. He--_

"Hey, what are you looking at?"

She blushed. "N-nothing."

He stared at her, then burst into laughter.

"What?" she asked nervously.

"It's just that you look so sweet when you blush, it's hard to imagine that you're a hardheaded dimwit."

"You're so annoying." But Miyu found his smile so disarming that she had to laugh, as well. "You're crazy. No wonder your ex-girlfriend dumped you."

He frowned and said, "Now that I think of it, she doesn't treat me all that well. She cheats on me then turns the tables on me so that I feel guilty instead of the other way around. She makes me do stuff I hate, and she's constantly trying to change me."

"What does she make you do?"

He looked pained. "Well, once she wanted me to shave off all my hair."

She stared at him for a minute then rolled with laughter. "That'd suit you well!"

After spending some time with each other, Miyu found out a lot of things about Kanata. He was a great athlete. He loved pumpkins. He might seem cold and uncaring but deep down, was a nice guy.

Kanata found out some things about her, too. She loved to eat. She was a clumsy and stubborn, but kind, girl. She loved shopping.

After a week of getting to know each other, Miyu felt that they were ready to meet her parents.

She dressed carefully, knowing that her strict parents wanted her to wear a formal dress, a gown if possible. So she wore a full-length, cream-colored velvet gown and huge diamond accessories.

_Oh, damn! I forgot to tell Kanata what to wear! _She pushed speed dial number 1 on her cell phone. "Kanata-kun?"

"Miyu-chan, I arranged for our limousine to pick us up in an hour. You'd better not be late, the driver isn't a patient man--"

"Now is not the time to be talking about that, Kanata! You have to wear a tuxedo."

He couldn't believe his ears. "A tuxedo? Come on, Miyu-chan. I know you said your parents are uptight, but a _tuxedo_? Don't you think you're overdoing it just a bit?"

She sighed. "Kanata, you don't know my parents. They are class-conscious people who expect me and everyone associated with me to be prim and proper."

"But you're not prim and proper," He laughed. "In fact, you're the exact opposite!"

"Damn it, Kanata, will you just do it!" She hung up.

An hour later, the limo pulled up in front of Miyu's apartment.

Kanata was apprehensive. _Maybe this isn't such a good idea._

"Who's the lucky girl, Kanata?" asked the limo driver.

"Her name is Miyu, Santa."

"I can't believe you got a girlfriend and you didn't think to tell your best friend," Santa whined. "After years and years of best friendship, you don't trust me enough to tell me your secrets! Do you know how much that hurts?"

Kanata rolled his eyes. He had been best friends with Santa Kurosu for many years but he still couldn't figure out how Santa's mind worked. "Ah, here she comes! Open the door for her!"

Santa held open the limo door for Miyu, who thanked him and sat next to Kanata.

"You look nice," he told her.

"You, too. Now," she said as Santa started to drive, "I have some pointers for you to follow when meeting my parents."

"_Pointers_? You're kidding me, right?" he said incredulously.

"Kanata Saionji!" she screeched, "You don't understand! This is _not_ an ordinary dinner! My parents are uptight and class-conscious people who don't approve of me slumming around with commoners. I need to bring them a presentable guy with good manners and proper upbringing!"

"So you call dating me 'slumming with commoners'?" he demanded. "Am I not good enough for you?"

"All I'm saying is that you need to listen to me!"

"I am not listening to you! Your parents can disown you for all I care! Go find a guy with proper upbringing and all that crap, and see if he's better than I am! But then," he snorted, "who would ever look at _you_?"

Miyu's jade eyes sparkled with angry tears as she yelled, "Well then, it was a mistake to bring you here!"

"Yeah, maybe it was! Santa, stop the car!"

The limo screeched to a halt.

Santa's face peered over the divider. "Too late; we're already here."

Even with his blood boiling, Kanata couldn't help but stare in wonder at the massive expanse that was Miyu's parents' estate. The mansion itself was four stories high with towering white columns.

He turned to Miyu and said, "_This_ is your mansion?"

She nodded stiffly. "My parents worked their asses off to get rich. As they worked and worked, I grew up alone.

"I was never good enough for them, especially for my mom. She nearly disowned me when I decided to become a wedding planner; she wanted me to work for their company. I am a real disappointment to them." Her tone was hardened and Kanata glimpsed, in Miyu's eyes, the sadness that was her family life.

He took her hand. "Don't let them get you down. You're a great person, Miyu-chan, so even if your parents don't see that, everybody else does, including me."

"Thank you, Kanata-kun…" she gave him a small smile.

If Miyu felt nervous when she was in the limo, it was nothing compared to what she felt when the mansion door was opened for her. _I hope nothing disastrous happens!_

The splendid house was exactly the same as when she left: polished marble floor, sparkling crystal chandeliers, red-carpeted twin staircases.

She gripped Kanata's hand very tightly as she muttered, "Don't forget to bow when you meet them. Follow my lead when using the silverware. Compliment them on the wine that's served. Exaggerate. Say that you're a businessman. Act refined and well-mannered. Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh, this is a mistake, I shouldn't have come here, oh no…"

"It'll be fine," he reassured her. "Stop worrying."

Suddenly, someone scurried over to them and hugged Miyu around the waist. "Miyu-chan!"

"Mikan!" Miyu exclaimed, patting the plump maid on the back. "I've missed you!" She turned to Kanata and explained, "This is Mikan. She's been like a mom to me all those years ago. She was the one who really took care of me."

"Nice to meet you," Kanata said politely.

Mikan beamed and led them to the dining room. "What brings you here, Miyu-chan?"

"I came to introduce Kanata, my boyfriend, to Mom and Dad."

"You've grown up so fast, Miyu-chan!" Mikan exclaimed.

A lofty voice said, "Mikan, how many times have I told you not to call my daughter 'Miyu-chan'. It is quite inappropriate, considering your status in this household."

Mikan curtseyed and scampered out of the room as Miyu said, "Mom, you know Mikan has always called me that."

"And you know that I have always objected to it." Miyu's mom had a snobbish aura. Kanata could see that Miyu wasn't exaggerating about her family's wealth: her mom was wearing a violet gown and was dripping jewelry. _What have I gotten myself into?_

Miyu changed the subject. "Where' Dad?"

"He's on a business trip in Italy. He wanted to come, but I told him that business should come first.

"Really, Miyu, you absolutely have no manners. You haven't introduced your guest," her mom scolded her.

Miyu took a deep breath and said, "This is Kanata Saionji, my boyfriend. Kanata, this is my mom, Miki."

Kanata bowed. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Please, have a seat." Miki gestured to the immense wooden dining table.

As they settled themselves, Miki asked, "When did you two start to go out?"

Miyu said, "Three months ago."

"Why didn't you introduce him sooner?" Miki asked. "You are such a forgetful girl, Miyu." Then she turned to Kanata. "What is your line of work?"

Kanata squirmed. "I'm a businessman."

"What company?"

"Er…" He looked around hopelessly for some inspiration.

Miyu sat frozen, silently praying, _don't lose your head, Kanata… Stay cool…_

"Kanata's Curtain Company. We supply curtains to five-star hotels all around the world."

Miki furrowed her brows. "I've never heard of it. I'll ask the contractors of my next hotel to look into your company. How much do you make in a year?"

"Um… Actually, I make so much money that I don't even count it anymore. I just let in pour in."

"A true businessman! Good." Miki nodded her approval.

The dinner went smoothly, with Kanata and Miyu lying at every turn. Finally, when dessert came, the couple breathed a sigh of relief. _It's almost over._

Suddenly, Miki asked, "When do you plan on getting married?"

Kanata choked on his crème brulee. "What?"

"Uh, Mom," Miyu said hastily, "isn't it a little too soon for marriage?"

"That is precisely the attitude I expected from you, Miyu. You shouldn't wait to get married, or else you'll grow old alone!" Miki snapped. "Honestly, I don't know if you use your brains at all."

Miyu looked downcast as she and Kanata bade Miki goodbye.

They got into the limo.

As the car sped up, Kanata said, "Hey, it went pretty well. Cheer up."

"She still thinks I'm a disappointment." Miyu whispered, tears glistening in her eyes. "I'll never be good enough for them!" She wiped away her tears furiously.

Kanata patted her hand. "I know just the thing to cheer you up." He leaned over to Santa and muttered some instructions. Santa nodded.

"Where are we?" Miyu asked as they got out of the car. Kanata stood back and grinned.

Miyu laughed in disbelief. "An ice cream shop?"

"Not just an ice cream shop. _The_ best ice cream shop in Heiomachi."

Two large banana splits seemed to cheer Miyu up a lot. She smiled and said, "Thanks, Kanata-kun."

Kanata's heart seemed to skip a beat. "You're welcome, Miyu."


	3. the girlfriend

A few days later, Kanata asked Miyu out to a quiet picnic by the beach. "To get over the excitement of last night," he explained.

As the two sat eating bacon sandwiches on a picnic blanket Kanata placed over the sand, he asked, "Why do you care so much what your mom and dad want?"

She chewed on her sandwich thoughtfully. "I don't know. I guess I was kind of programmed that way, 'cause when I was growing up, everyone except Mikan would say, 'you need to be a good girl for your parents' or 'you need to follow your mom and dad's examples'."

"I think that's crap. You should be who you want to be."

She shrugged. "Well, I can't change now. I always think 'will my parents approve?'. It's drilled into my mind." She swallowed her sandwich. "What about you? Why do you want Akira if she treats you badly?"

He answered slowly. "I don't know."

"Do you love her?" she asked seriously.

"I honestly don't know." He raked his fingers through his hair. "Maybe."

After a moment's silence, Miyu asked, "What about your end of the bargain?"

He looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Have you forgotten why we're 'dating'? You want Akira, remember?"

"Oh, yeah… I completely forgot."

"What do you want to do about it?"

He considered for a minute. "She works as a saleslady in a department store. Maybe we can go there and make her jealous."

The next day, Miyu and Kanata headed over to the fifth floor of the Omachi Department Store.

"We have to make it look good," Kanata said anxiously. "If she finds out that you're not really my girlfriend, I'll look stupid and she'll never go out with me again."

They wandered through the clothes racks until Kanata spotted a black-haired girl. "There she is!" he whispered, pointing.

Immediately, Miyu thought, _No wonder Kanata likes her so much. She's gorgeous! _Akira had beautiful, long, jet-black hair and a slim figure. Many guys were checking her out.

Miyu turned to her companion. "What'll we do?"

Akira was filing her nails when someone tapped her shoulder. "Kanata! What are you doing here? And who--"

Kanata was hand in hand with a beautiful blonde girl she had never seen before.

"Akira, this is Miyu, my new girlfriend." Kanata said. The blonde flipped her hair and flashed Akira a pretty smile. "Hello. You're Akira, right? Kanata's told me all about you. Isn't that right, sweetheart?" She kissed his cheek.

"Yes, sugarplum. Anyway, how are you, Akira?" he asked.

"I'm fine." Akira said. "How about you?"

"I'm more than fine. I'm ecstatic! I have a beautiful girl who loves me, in my arms." He kissed Miyu's forehead. "I love you, honey."

"I love you too, darling. You're so sweet!" she batted her eyelashes at him.

Akira wanted to throw up. If he was doing this to make her jealous, then he was doing a fine job of it. "Actually, I have to get back to work."

"All right, we'll leave you to your work. You must be so tired." Miyu said with just a hint of sarcasm. She hugged Kanata. "Let's go, sweetie."

"Whatever you say, sugarplum."

Miyu and Kanata went off to a nearby clothes rack. Miyu collapsed in a fit of giggles. "'Sugarplum'? how cheesy is that?"

"Ssh!" he said. "Akira's watching!"

Sure enough, the brunette was still staring at them.

"She suspects," Miyu said. "Damn it!"

Kanata said, "Kiss me."

"What? Are you crazy? Kanata--"

He pulled her close and looked into her eyes. "Miyu."

Akira rubbed her eyes. She couldn't believe that Kanata kissed the blonde! He had never even kissed her on the lips. He only ever kissed her cheek or hand, but never on the lips. And now he was kissing another girl!

The couple broke apart and looked over at Akira, who looked shocked.

Miyu was as stunned as Akira. _My first kiss._

"Let's go, Miyu." Kanata pulled her by the hand. Once they were out of sight, he turned to her. "Miyu-chan, I'm sorry."

She was too startled to speak. _I just had my first kiss with Kanata._

Kanata thought her silence meant that she was angry. "Miyu… I'm sorry. I panicked."

She slowly nodded. "It's okay… It's just that… It was my first kiss."

"Mine too."

"What? How can that be? You had a girlfriend!"

"I never kissed her on the lips," he confessed. "I don't know why, I guess I was saving it for someone special. That's part of the reason she broke up with me."

"It's raining," Miyu commented as they went outside. "Do you have an umbrella?"

"No." Kanata stepped into the rain.

"Where are you going without an umbrella?"

"Let's walk in the rain. You like the rain, right?"

"I do, but--"

"Come on, Miyu. It's just a little rain."

Miyu couldn't resist his fiery stare. So she joined him, sloshing through the slippery sidewalk. She felt her mood lift. "This is fun!" she said, grinning. "I love the rain."

He laughed. "I know. We'll get totally soaked, though."

"I don't care." She opened her arms and enjoyed the drops falling on her face.

Kanata stared at her and thought, _Miyu…_

At that exact moment, he decided that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever met.


	4. follow your heart

Kanata was woken by his cell phone ringing

Kanata was woken by his cell phone ringing. He groggily pushed the Answer button on his cell phone. "Hello?"

"Kanata." The voice was pleading.

"Akira?" He glanced at the clock. It read 4:27 AM. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, really. I just wanted to talk."

"Couldn't it wait?"

"No.'

"Fine. What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Akira said flatly, "Dump Miyu."

Kanata was wide-awake now. "Excuse me?"

"Dump Miyu. Come back to me."

He was smug. Now that she was the one begging for him, he wasn't in any hurry to relinquish his power. "I don't know, Akira. She's really the perfect girl. I'll have to think about it."

"But, Kanata--"

"Bye, Akira." He hung up with a smirk on his face.

"So, what do you think?" Kanata asked Miyu several hours later. "Should I go back to Akira?"

She folded her arms. "That's a personal choice, Kanata-kun…"

"I just want your opinion."

"Kanata-kun." Miyu said. Kanata had rarely seen her this serious. "If Akira truly makes you happy, then you should go back to her.

"But," she continued, "if your heart doesn't tell you to go to her, you shouldn't. You should listen to your heart, Kanata."

He laughed a little. "What, are you a philosopher now?"

She giggled. "Sort of. I'm just telling you my honest opinion on what you should do."

"After all we've been through to get Akira, you should be telling me to go back to her." He gazed at her intently. "Why aren't you telling me to go back to her?"

"Well, uh, it's just that, you know, it's, um, a personal choice," Miyu stammered. She felt herself getting redder and redder under his gaze until she blurted out, "Damn it, Kanata! Just follow your freakin' heart!"

Miyu walked alone to Tenchi Diner. She had something important to discuss with Nanami.

She went up to a waitress and said, "Hi, Chris. Have you seen Nanami? I need to talk to her."

Christine nodded and called, "Nanami-chan! Miyu-chan is here!"

In a flash, Nanami appeared and ushered Miyu into a booth. She sat across from her and eagerly asked, "Well, what's the big news? Are you getting married?"

Miyu shook her head. "Far from it." She told Nanami the entire story: the deal, the dinner, and the department store. Nanami's eyes were so large by now that Miyu wouldn't be surprised if they rolled on the floor.

"Wow… You shared your first kisses? How romantic…" sighed Nanami.

Miyu sighed. "Nanami-chan, I think I've finally fallen in love."

"It's about time!" Nanami said, grinning. "Well, go tell him!"

"I can't." She then recounted the conversation she had with Kanata earlier.

"And now," she finished, "I can't tell him 'cause he's _bound_ to go back to her. Nanami, I don't know what to do!" She hung her head.

"Miyu-chan!" Nanami said fiercely. Miyu looked up, surprised. "You don't quit just like that! You fight for him! You tell him how you feel. Otherwise, you'll spend the rest of your life wondering 'what if?'!

"Personally, you didn't let anything stop you before, so why start now?"

Miyu felt braver. "Thanks, Nanami-chan." She stood up.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm going to him."

"You're going to tell him _now_?" Nanami said, surprised.

"If I don't, he'll probably go running back to Akira! I have to go _now_!"

"All right, then, hop in my car. Let's go."

Adrenaline pumped through Miyu's body as she and Nanami sped through the city to Kanata's apartment. _Wait for me, Kanata._


	5. heart to heart

"Stop!" Miyu shouted. She leapt out of Nanami's car and raced inside the building. "Good luck!" she heard her best friend cry.

Miyu ran all the way to the third floor. As she paused to rest outside Kanata's door, panting, she caught a voice saying, "Kanata-kun, you know I love you. I made a mistake in leaving you."

She froze. _Akira._

Pressing her ear against the keyhole, she heard Kanata say, "I love you too."

"What about that Miyu girl?" Akira's voice was disdainful. "I can't believe you dated that ugly piece of crap." She laughed.

Miyu wanted Kanata to defend her, to say _Stop it, Akira, Miyu is a great person._ But he said, "Miyu is nothing more than a means to get you back. Don't bother getting jealous over _her_."

Miyu had heard enough. She wasn't aware that she stopped breathing, she also wasn't aware of the doorknob above her head. "Ow!" she yelled as she stood up.

In a flash, Kanata opened the door. "Miyu-chan? What are you doing here?"

Miyu couldn't speak. She opened her mouth, closed it, and ran outside.

"Miyu! Wait!" Kanata was about to run after her when Akira grabbed his arm, saying, "I thought she was nothing to you? Don't chase her; she's not worth it."

But Kanata wrenched himself from her grip and ran after Miyu. He arrived downstairs to see Miyu in a rusty blue car zooming away from the apartment.

"What happened?" Nanami asked her blonde friend as she drove at 60 km/hr. "Did it go well?"

Miyu let out a wail.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Nanami sighed. "Can you tell me what happened? It'll make you feel better."

In a monotone, Miyu recounted the conversation she overheard.

She was glad when they reached her apartment. She just wanted to rest, watch sad DVDs and pig out on ice cream, chocolate and chips.

"Say, isn't that your prince charming over there?" Nanami said, peering outside the window.

"Damn it! Nanami, tell him I'm not here."

"Too late." A familiar voice said, sending tingles down Miyu's spine. "Miyu-chan."

"Nanami, tell that--that--that _thing_ to go away."

Nanami shook her head. "No way, I'm not getting involved in this. if you need me, I'll be in your room." She left them alone.

Miyu couldn't look at him. "What do you want?"

"Miyu… I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry you said that, or you're sorry I heard?"

He was speechless. Miyu took the opportunity to release her wrath. "I helped you out. _I gave you my first kiss_. But then you--you--" She breathed deeply, trying to regain control. She didn't want to cry, least of all in front of Kanata. "Just get out. Go back to Akira."

"I won't leave!"

"You won't, but I will." Miyu said.

"What?"

"I'm leaving for America."


	6. akira or miyu

"I'm leaving for America first thing tomorrow morning."

Kanata couldn't believe it. "Why?"

"Japan has nothing for me anymore."

"What about your parents?"

"They lived without me for years; they won't care as long as I'm not bringing shame on the Kouzouki name."

"What about Nanami?" he said a little desperately.

"She has Santa."

He was beginning to panic. "Miyu, don't--"

"Get out, Kanata."

"But--"

"I said get out."

"Miyu--"

"I said get out! Get out of my life, get out of my head, just get _out_!" She turned away, stifling her sobs.

Silently, Kanata turned and left.

Kanata felt numb. _Miyu's leaving. _He went back to his apartment and said, "Akira, you'll have to leave."

"What? You haven't even given me any answers yet." she said indignantly.

"I'll think about it."

"Are you just leaving me hanging? Is this punishment for what I did?"

"No, Akira. Just go home, will you?"

Perhaps his tone was irritable, because Akira shot him a dirty look before flouncing out of his apartment.

Kanata lay down and closed his eyes. He must have fell asleep, because when he opened them, it was already noon.

_Miyu's gone._

He thought what he felt for Akira was love, but Miyu gave him a completely different feeling: warm and happy and contented.

He thought of what he liked about Miyu. _She's sweet, cute, funny, childlike, unique, beautiful, kind, friendly, ditzy, clumsy…_

He tried to remember what he liked about Akira, and to his slight surprise he could think of none.

Then a memory rose to his brain, sending a shock through his emotions. _Our first kiss._


	7. airport chase

Our first kiss

_Our first kiss._

Kanata remembered every detail of it: the smell of Miyu's hair, the feel of her soft lips, her hands running through his hair…

He jumped to feet automatically. Grabbing his car keys, his mind registered only one thing: to stop Miyu from leaving.

He drove frantically to the airport, trying not to think _Miyu's gone_. He knew that there was a very good chance that she left already, but he didn't care. He just wanted to go to her.

When Kanata arrived at the airport, he tried to rush through the gates, but the guard stopped him and said, "Sorry, you can't get through without a ticket."

He pulled out his credit card and said, "I was just about to buy one." He pushed people out of the line and bought the cheapest ticket the airport had.

Kanata looked at his watch. _Damn! _He had wasted an hour and a half getting through security. When he finally got inside, his heart sank as he realized that he didn't know which plane Miyu would board.

He scanned the board of departures, praying, hoping…

The only plane headed towards America already left two hours ago.

Kanata didn't have the energy to shout, or cry, or do anything. In fact, he felt exhausted, a feeling intensified by misery. He drove at snail's pace back to his apartment. He trudged up the stairs, one by one.

With each step, it felt like lead was weighing him down. His heart hurt.

He was so drained that he didn't notice a golden-haired girl sitting on the top step of the third floor. "Kanata."

So great was the shock Kanata received that he nearly fell over backwards. Regaining his balance, he said, "_Miyu_?"

Miyu stood in front of Kanata. She wasn't sure why she was here. All she knew was that while driving to the airport that morning, she passed by Kanata's apartment and stopped.

Kanata approached her uncertainly, and when she didn't object, he hugged her tightly.

"Kanata--!" she said in surprise.

"Miyu… I thought you were gone…"

She hugged him back. "Kanata-kun, I love you."

"I love you too, Miyu-chan."

"Say," Kanata said after a moment, "do you remember how our kiss felt?"

"No," Miyu said playfully. "remind me again."

He kissed her passionately.

"Oh," she said weakly. "_That_ kiss."

He laughed and held her tight. "Miyu, I am never letting you go again."


End file.
